Method of and apparatus for producing ventilated-barrel staves



April 30, 1929. A. B. HOUTZ 1,711,388

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VENTILATED BARREL STAVES Filed Oct. 23, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l A. B. HOUTZ METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VENTILATED BARREL STAVES I April 30, 1929.

Filed Oct. 23, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ilium/111m "um/011011110004 IIIIIll/l/l/A @Mm i u ww/ey.

. bit-s projecting therefrom.

Patented Apr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES ALFRED IB. HOUTZ, OF ELIZABETH CITY,.NORTH CAROLINA.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING VENTILATED-BARREL STAVES.

Application filed October 23, 1926. Serial No. 143,604.

This invention relates to the production of staves for ventilated barrels, particularly so-called slack barrel staves; and the objects and nature of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following explanations of the accompanying drawings that illustrate what I now believe to be the preferred'mechanical expression or embodiment of means to carry out the invention from among other forms, constructions and arrangements within the spirit and scope thereof, and in the light of the following explanation of the method followed in accordance with my invention in jointing and grooving ventilated barrel staves.

It is an object of the invention to reduce costs and improve the product by beveling the stave edges, cutting the stave to produce the bilge, and planing ventilating so-called grooves in the opposite end portions of the stave, all by a single operation according to high speed or quantity production methods through the utilization of a number of Suecessive shear-cut plane bits carried by and projecting from the face. of ahigh-speed rotary disk in such manner that a stave presented to the face of the rapidly rotating disk will almost instantaneously be bilged, beveled and grooved by angularly presented planing knife or bit edges moving in one direction across one end portion of the stave and returning in the opposite direction across the opposite end portion of the stave and longitudinally of the stave edge throughout or approximately throughout the side edge thereof. I

Vfith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the herein described method and in certain'nove'l features in structuralarrangements, constructions or combinations as more fully and particularly described and specified hereinafter. Referring to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof r Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrates, in elevation, apparatus for carrying out my method and that embodies apparatus of my inventiorndotted lines indicating a stave in operative position at the face of the high speed disk and with respect to the planing V Fig. 2 is a sectionon the line 2-2, 1. Fig. 3 is a'detail view of a jointing bit on Its seat with a grooving bit clamped thereon.

Fig. 4 is a Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view diagrammatically illustrating the stave of my invention.

Fig. 6 diagrammatically illustrates said stave in edge elevation.

Fig. 7 diagrammatically illustrates a cutter disk in front elevationwith a modified arrangement of jointingand groove planing edges.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective of a combined or one piece jointing and grooving bit.

Fig. 9 shows the bit of Fig. 8 in longitudinal section. 1

It isthe purpose of this invention, to produce barrel staves,for making ventilated socalled slack barrels, and I show a stave a, produced according to my invention, that is longitudinally tapered off in opposite directions from its central portion to its ends to produce the barrel bilge, and jointed or transversely beveled at its opposite longitudinal edges, and at its opposite jointed edges having grooves b, in its end portions to register with the similar grooves of adjoining staves when assembled to form a barrel and thus provide the barrel with ventilating openings in its opposite end portions. The ventilating grooves-b, atthe opposite end portions of the stave extend longitudinally of the stave and the floor Z), of each groove detail section on the line-4,-4,

;-is parallel wit-h the adjacent beveled or jointed edge of the stave and is correspondingly beveled transversely'of the stave. The two endwalls ba, of a groove 6, are arcuate or curved from one side of the stave to the other from a common center, and this is true of the two similar grooves of each stave edge, also of the two similar grooves in the opposite edge of the stave. This is a distinguishing peculiarity of'the staves produced in accordance with my invention. In carrying out my method, the stave is presented to, and its longitudinal edge to be jointed and grooved, is pressed against the face of a cutter head or disk rotating at a high rate of speed and of greater diameter than the stave length, and carrying a succession of forwardly projecting bit or planing edges formed to plane or shave off the stave edge with shearing cuts to taper and bevel the same and form the'grooves therein all at one operation, with great rapidity and during the instant, or short space of time that the stave edge is pressed to the disk planing edges.

face before removal and reversal of the stave for the almost instant application of its opposite longitudinal edge to the disk face for similar planing by the bits to taper and bevel the edge and plane the grooves therein.

The disk is equipped with a multiplicity of the shearing-cut planing edges to joint and groove the stave, and these several edges are arranged in succession in an endless or circular series, and the disk is rotated at high speed, usually at seven hundred revolutions per minute, more or less, so that the operation is performed with great rapidity.

The diameter of the circular path in which the elongated planing edges move exceeds the length of the stave, and the stave is presented thereto to one side of the axis of rotation and tangentially thereof or to forma chord of said circle, in such manner that the outer portions of the angularly arranged elongated stave jointing planing edges will in succession sweep in a curved path in one direction (say downwardly) across one end portion of the stave to taper and bevel the same with the inner end portions of said edges then sweeping longitudinally of the stave toward its opposite end to bevel the central portion of the stave length, and with the outer portions of the planing edges then sweeping in the opposite direction (say, upwardly) across the other end portion of the stave to taper and bevel the same.

The succession of forwardlyprojected relatively-short edges of the grooving bits travel in a relatively-narrow circular path that is concentric with the relatively-wide circular path in which the elongated stave jointing planing edges travel, and said relatively-narrow path is located intermediate the width of said relatively wide path, preferably nearer the outer than the inner edge of said wide path. The relative arrangement of such forwardly-projected relatively-short groove planing edges, is such that the groove planing edges will in succession each at an angle move in a circular path across (say, down) one end portion of the stave and longitudinally thereof to shave a groove of greater length than the planing edge, and then below the stave toward the other end thereof and then upwardly across said opposite end portion to shave therein a groove similar to that in the first mentioned end of the stave.

The various planing edges are arranged to travel in a circular path or paths of a truncated cone form, i. e. that flares forwardly and outwardly to produce the tapered ends and beveled edge or in other words to perform the stave jointing action, and this is also true of the succession of stave grooving This conical formation can be attained by the setting of the various planing bits or knives, in a fiat face of the disk, but is preferably attained by providing the disk with a beveled or flaring face against which the staves are pressed during the moment required to perform the jointing and grooving operation.

The relatively-short projected groove-planing bits or edges are each preferably sharp at both usually rounded ends or corners and are so arranged as to advance outer corner foremost into the stave and to sweep at an angle down across and toward the center of the stave length to shave the groove longer than the bit or edge, and to advance on the up movement to the other end of the stave, inner end or corner foremost and to sweep in an angular position upwardly across the stave and longitudinally toward the stave extremity to cut the long groove with the similarly curved ends. 7

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings to show apparatus for carrying out my method, I diagrammatically illustrate apparatus of the stave jointer type, embodying the enlarged-diameter high-speed cutter head or disk 1, here shown as upright or vertical with an annular face 2, that is of truncated cone formation, i. e. flaring forwardly and outwardly from its inner to its outer edge. I

Any suitable manually controlled stave holder and gage 3, is diagrammatically i1 lustrated, to hold the stave in a horizontal posit-ion, as hereinbefore described, across the face 2 below the level of the disk axis. and press the stave edge forwardly against the downwardly, laterally and upwardly moving portions of said face.

The annular series of similar uniformly spaced elongated beveled planing edges or bits 4 project forwardly from face 2 through slots 5, in said face that also permit rearward discharge of shavings. The disk 1 behind said face carries seats and supports for the bits 4, the bits'being removably and adjustably secured to the seats usually by caps and clamping screws.

The annular series of uniformly spaced relatively-short beveled forwardly-projected groove planing edges 6, are all similar, and also project forwardly from the face 2, and are either uniformly spaced between the seats, supports and clamping means at the rear of the disk 1, or else the planing edges 6, are mounted on or formed integral with the hits a and project through the same slots as the bits 4:.

In any event, the relatively short groove planing edges 6, are formed with sharpened usually rounded corners 6, at both ends, so that each edge 6, can enter and cut across the stave either end or corner foremost to initiate the groove forming planing action which results in the formation of a venbits 41-, and project forwardly through sep arate slots in the face 2 from their own tilating groove of greater length than the edges 6.

Where the rotary disk 1, is provided With the series of short forwardly projected groove planing edges by the provision of separate bits 6, arranged between the bits 4, said bits 6, travel in a narrow circular path located a slight distance in advance of the wide circular path of the bits 4, but located intermediate the width of said wide path.

Where the short groove planing edges 6 are carried by the bits 4, such edges 6, project forwardly from intermediate portions of the bit 4 with their ground or beveled edges in continuation of the ground beveled edges of bits 4.

Each edge 6, can be provided by a sep arate bit or knife 6, secured on a bit 4, either fixedly or removably by clamps or screws 6' so that each bit 4 will be provided with a bit 6.

Also, each bit 4, might be of sufficient thickness or so ground as to provide the intermediate forwardly projecting short groove planing edge 6 integral with the bit 4.

What I claim is 1. In the method of producing jointed and ventilated barrel staves, those steps which consist in, advancing a jointingedge in a circular path across and along the stave edge from end to end thereof to joint the stave, simultaneously advancing a grooving planing edge in a circular path endwise across the stave edge first adjacent one end and then adjacent the opposite end of the stave edge to shear out similar ventilating grooves in the pointed edge.

2. In the method of producing jointed and ventilated barrel staves, those steps which consist in, advancing a jointing edge in a circular path across and along the stave edge from end 'to end thereof to joint the stave, simultaneously advancing a grooving-planing edge of less length than the jointing edge in a circular path endwise across the stave edge, first adjacent one end and then adjacent the opposite end of the stave, and maintaining the grooving edge in a circular path concentric with but projected beyond the path of the jointing edge to shear and plane out similar ventilating grooves in the jointed edge at opposite ends of the stave.

3. In the method of producing ventilated barrel staves, those steps which consist in advancing a grooving-planing edge in a curved path corner foremost transversely to the work with a shearing cut across the stave edge adjacent one end thereof, and then continuing the advance of the grooving-planing edge in said curved path transversely to the opposite side of the work, with the opposite corner foremost with a shearing cut across the stave edge adjacent the opposite end of the stave, to form similar ventilating grooves at opposite ends, respectively, of the stave edge.

4. Apparatus'for simultaneously jointing and grooving ventilated barrel staves, comprising a rotary disk having an annular series of knives, each having elongated jointing-planing edges and a relatively short groove-planing edge, projecting from the face thereof, the circle of groove planing edges being intermediate the inner and outer edges ofthe wider circle of jointing edges, the grooving edges formed and arranged to advance in angular positions either end foremost to and across and back across opposite ends of a stave edge with a shearing-planing cut.

5. Apparatus for simultaneously jointing and grooving ventilated barrel staves, comprising a rotary disk having an annular series of knives spaced therearound extending from the face thereof at angles to the radii of the disk, each providing an elongatedjointing-planing edge, and a relatively short grooving-planing edge, said grooving planing edges projected beyond but intermediate the ends of the jointing-planing edges and arranged to advance either end foremost to and across and back across opposite ends of a stave edge witha shearin'gplaning cut to form similar ventilating grooves at opposite ends of the stave edge;

Signed at Elizabeth City, North Carolina, this llth day of October, 1926.

ALFRED B. nourz. 

